autrui
French edit
Etymology edit
Inherited from Old French autrui, from Vulgar Latin *alterui, alteration (after cui) of Latin alterī, dative singular of alter. Compare lui.
Pronunciation edit
Pronoun edit
autrui m
- (chiefly literary) others; other people; someone else
- Il ne faut pas faire mal à autrui.
- One should not do harm to others.
- 1943, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Le Petit Prince:
- Il est bien plus difficile de se juger soi-même que de juger autrui.
- It is more difficult to judge oneself than to judge others.
- 1994, Yasmina Reza, ‘Art’:
- Yvan. Dès l’instant qu’il n’y a pas de préjudice pour autrui…
- From the moment there is not prejudice for others…
Usage notes edit
- In line with its etymology, autrui is only exceptionally used as a subject. It is commonest after prepositions.
Further reading edit
- “autrui”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Old French edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
From altre, whence French autre.
Pronoun edit
autrui
- others (other people)